'الملف 10/3 IV الامتياز النفطي بقطر' [و‎‎٢‎٥] (٥٣٤/٧٤)

groups being allowed to take up any concession without
the others participating. They might complain
vigorously about its terms but they would, come in
nevertheless. Mr. Starling and Mr. Seal suggested that
this might be a reason for insisting on U.K.
registration in spite of the taxation difficulties and
Mr. Rendel explained that since any conditions imposed
in the Government Agreement must be of universal
application, H .M .G. could not rnaJce them easier for the
A.P.O.C. - I.P.O. than for example a purely American
Company. Mr. Hearn and Mr. Agnew said that if H.M.G.
made things difficult for foreigners in British territor
British Oil Companies would be faced with retaliation
in foreign territory and referred to their present
negotiations with the Syrian Governnent, but Mr.Rendel
pointed out that there was no analogy between the
mandated territory of Syria and Qatar which was not
British territory and where there were sx^ecial
difficulties in regard to protection of foreigners. It
was finally agreed, however, that in view of the
taxation difficulty, the registration of subsidiary
Companies in the United Kingdom might be dispensed with
but that any subsidiary should be registered in the
British Empire and that its chairman should at all
times be a British subject.
Articles 3,4,5,and 6 of the draft Agreement were
acceptable to the Oil Companies. Mr.Walton explained
with reference to Article 4 that it was possible that
H.M.G. might decide to designate the Political Agent,
Bahrein as Political Agent also in Qatar and Article 4
as drafted would cover this though in so far as the P.A.
might/